The Brooklyn Nets have reached the quiet stretch of their offseason, and with the 2026 NBA Draft, summer league, and free agency behind them, the big question now is whether they passed on a swing that could have changed the conversation around the team.
Brooklyn’s headline move was landing Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle. Still, not everyone around the league sees that as enough to close the book on what the Nets might have done. One of the names that keeps coming up is Jaylen Brown, who was once viewed as a possible trade target for Brooklyn before he was dealt from the Boston Celtics to the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason.
"I thought it would have been interesting because you got Jaylen Brown, who's in the prime of his career right now and a guy that was one of the top MVP candidates last year," HoopsHype's Michael Scotto said during his appearance on the "Locked On Nets" podcast with ClutchPoints' Erik Slater and Third Apron's Yossi Gozlan.
Scotto pointed to Brown’s ability to carry a team when Jayson Tatum was out and said that, regardless of whether Brown is seen as a 1A or 1B, he gave Boston a strong baseline every night.
"He [Brown] showed what he can do carrying a team by himself for the most part of the year with Jayson Tatum out. Whether you think he's a 1A or 1B, they had a pretty high floor with him," Scotto continued.
"To me, I thought it would have been worthwhile for Brooklyn because you're at a bit of a crossroads where you got all these young guys. You got Porter, you go get Julius Randle, and you're obviously trying to get better.
There's no incentive to tank anymore."
The chatter around Brooklyn is fueled in part by how little Boston got back in the deal. The Celtics sent Brown to Philadelphia for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks, a return that led many to think Boston sold low after missing out on Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Scotto also noted that Brooklyn had plenty of trade capital available if it wanted to make a run at Brown, including any of the 12 first-round picks the Nets control between 2027 and 2033. Instead, general manager Sean Marks held onto the team’s assets.
For now, the Nets move forward with Randle and Michael Porter Jr. as the names leading the way. But the Brown discussion isn’t going away anytime soon, and plenty around the league will keep wondering what Brooklyn might have looked like if it had pushed harder.
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